Resources — Money & finance · 6 min
Finance & Mortgage Checklist
Finance falls over on paperwork and surprises, almost never on rates. Get your file lender-ready before you offer and the mortgage becomes the boring part of the deal — which is exactly what it should be.
How to use this
Work through it before you start viewing seriously. When every item is ticked, your broker can move at deal speed instead of paperwork speed.
01
Your file, lender-ready
- Three months' personal and business bank statements, clean and explainable
- Proof of deposit with a paper trail — gifted funds need a signed letter
- SA302s / accounts for two years if self-employed
- Credit file pulled and read by you first — fix errors before a lender finds them
- Existing portfolio schedule: address, value, loan, rent for every property
02
The deal, lender-ready
- Rent evidenced by comparables — lenders stress at 125–145% cover, so know your ICR
- Property type flagged early: ex-council, above commercial, non-standard construction all narrow the panel
- HMO: article 4 status, licence requirement and room sizes confirmed
- Refinance plans: lenders want 6 months' ownership before most remortgages — plan the bridge accordingly
03
Structure questions to settle with your broker
- Personal name vs limited company — tax treatment differs; take advice, not internet opinion
- Interest-only vs repayment against your cash flow target
- Fixed term length vs your exit timeline — ERCs punish early refinances
- Fee-loaded rate vs higher rate with low fees — total cost over the term, not the headline
04
Red flags that kill applications
- Unexplained deposits landing in your account mid-application
- New credit taken during the application
- Price renegotiated without telling the lender
- Works started before completion on a mortgaged purchase
Related documents
Working documents, not advice — take professional advice where your situation needs it.